ON THE FEMALE CONSTITUTION. 373 



the torpid state, and she immediately recollected that her mis- 

 tress had given her orders to stay at home. 



On Friday the 7th of April, Dr Dyce had an opportunity of 

 seeing her under the influence of a fit, in her mistress's house. 

 He found her running up and down the room, and arranging 

 things which appeared to her to be in confusion. On being 

 asked if she knew him, she said, " Oh yes, I know that stick 

 and tassel ; they are Dr Dyce's." Her eyelids appeared shut ; 

 but when he stooped, and looked to them from below, he 

 found them not entirely closed. When he raised the upper 

 eyelid a little, it seemed to give her pain, at least she would not 

 allow it to be repeated. When he desired her to point to differ- 

 ent parts of his body and dress, and name them, he found that 

 she could not do it when the light of the candle or fire shone 

 fully on him ; but pointed out every part accurately, when it 

 was placed in the shade. At this time, when he tried again to 

 open the eyelids, he found the pupils greatly contracted, a 

 state the reverse of that which made its appearance in all his 

 previous examinations. This contrariety is not easily explain- 

 ed when we consider that the habitudes of the function of vi- 

 sion seemed in all other respects the same as on former occa- 

 sions* 



On examining Iter head all over, Dr Dyce now remarked par- 

 ticularly, that she shrunk much when he touched the upper part, 

 the region of the fontatielle. The head Was shaved, with a view 

 to the application of a blister, and he found some degree of 

 swelling irt> that situation^ The soreness was entirely superfi- 

 dial, for -a light touch gave the same pain as a ruder impulse, 

 or a considerable pressure. 



From Monday the '17th of April, till Friday the 2d of May, 

 she was free from any paroxysm; 



In consequence of the appearance of bloody stools, and 

 other symptoms of a similar nature, Dr Dyce thought proper 



to 



